Conventionally, soldering irons incorporate a working end or tip, traditionally of copper, serving to supply heat, as for applying (or removing) molten solder. The effect of molten solder on the copper tends to be deleterious and as a consequence it has become rather widespread practice to plate the tips of soldering irons, as with alloys of nickel or iron. Such plated tips are quite durable as long as a coating of solder is maintained as a protective cover. However, exposure of the plating when the iron is hot tends to result in oxides so that in time the plating becomes pitted and perforated and in due course the tip becomes difficult to use.
Although various techniques have been employed, conventional practice involves frequently dressing the tip of a soldering iron. Specifically, the tip is cleaned of oxides and "tinned" or covered with a clean coating of solder. In actual practice, when an electric soldering iron is momentarily at rest, it is generally maintained at an operating temperature with the result that some oxides are produced on the surface of the molten solder coating. Conventionally, such oxides are removed by rubbing the working surfaces of the iron on a wet sponge. Although such a practice is effective to clean the iron, it has some inherent disadvantages. First, the wet sponge cools the iron with the result that some delay may be involved while the iron returns to a working temperature. Also, dry parts of the sponge are sometimes contacted, with the result that fragments of burned sponge are deposited on the working surface of the soldering iron to contaminate solder deposits. Finally, the wet sponge tends to completely remove the solder coating, exposing the plating with the adverse effects as described above.
Of course, it is to be recognized that various other techniques have been employed for maintaining and using soldering irons; however, certain disadvantages are generally characteristic, as in the widespread practice of using a wet sponge. Specifically, the difficulties are generally recognized to be in maintaining a coating of molten solder on the working surface or tip of the iron, which coating can be periodically cleared of an oxide skin without cooling the iron or introducing contaminants. In general, the present invention is directed to an appliance for simply and easily treating or dressing a soldering iron in view of these considerations.